


Complicated

by byeolbit



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Gen, Romance, Soulmates, Team Flash, Triggers: Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 22:06:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6302092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeolbit/pseuds/byeolbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Soulmates!AU)</p><p>When Barry Allen is 7, he notices the first bruises on his body that aren't his own. That's when Henry and Nora Allen sit him down and teach him about soulmates. People you are destined to be with. The connections manifest in different ways. Some people have names, some people have phrases. Some have marks from the soulmates. Since Barry has no time or words on his body, he might have belonged to this category.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Complicated

**Author's Note:**

> My first Flash fanfic and also my first soulmates!au fic. Chapter length varies from chapter to chapter. 
> 
> Warning/Trigger: Contains mentions of abuse.

 

When Barry Allen is 7, he notices the first bruises on his body that aren't his own. That's when Henry and Nora Allen sit him down and teach him about soulmates. People you are destined to be with. The connections manifest in different ways. Some people have names, some people have phrases. Some have marks from the soulmates. Since Barry has no time or words on his body, he might have belonged to this category.

It's not a cause for worry, they tell him. It's better than having no soulmate or any clue about them. This way Barry knows. And five year olds are playful. They might get hurt now and then. It's a normal part of growing up. So a mark now and then shouldn't alarm him. Maybe his soulmate is adventurous or clumsy. Barry himself fell off his bike for the first time just yesterday.

Barry nods in understanding. Or as much as a five year old can understand. He's just happy he has a soulmate. The next day he proudly shows the fading bruise to his best friend Iris West. He has someone who he will fall in love with. Someone who will love him back. He'll be happy the way his parents are. And that thought warms him up. So he shows his bruise with pride.

Barry doesn't show any concern when more bruises appear. They appear a few weeks apart and after a while he stops counting them. His soulmate must move around a lot to get hurt so much. Maybe she is a cool pirate who is travelling far lands and getting injured in sword fights. Maybe she is a superhero like Superman is and gets injured fighting aliens. Or she is an explorer and these are side effects of having to be mobile in a jungle.

It could be a he. But Barry likes to think it is a girl. He wants someone just like his mom. So when the thought crosses by, he dismisses it.

When Barry is 10, his mother gets murdered by the man in the yellow lightning and his father is sent to jail. Joe becomes his caretaker and does his best to give Barry a normal happy life. Barry doesn't even look at the bruises as he begins his mission to find the murderer. When the bruises appear, Barry wishes he was the one getting hurt.

On Barry's 13th birthday, Joe nearly has a heart attack when he observes bruises appear on his arms. Barry fails to hide them because Iris insists he try his gift on before the party - a short sleeved batman logo tshirt. The bruises show and Joe stirs demanding to know if Barry has caused them. Barry shakes his head. He has been depressed but he hasn't resorted to self harm.

So at 13, Barry learns that his soulmate's bruises are consistent with abuse.

The thought makes Barry want to throw up. He doesn't realize that despite everything he has still held onto the idealistic dream of a Disney style love. And now that he knows his soulmate is being tortured he feels helpless and disgusted at himself for being unable to help yet another person he loves.

Joe channels this energy positively. He tells Barry that he has to be strong for his soulmate. That when the pull comes they'll need him to be strong for them. Barry decides that he wants to be a cop like Joe so he can punish whoever is doing this. Joe settles at the compromise of forensic science. It's brilliant really because Barry gets to keep his love for science and still stay safe. Joe knows what's out there and he never wishes Barry see it, much less come to harm because of it. He worries as he looks at Barry's arms. There will be no way that his soulmate will survive so many years of abuse. But he hopes for Barry.

At 17, Barry wakes up in the middle of the night with a jolt. He rushes to the bathroom and dry heaves. The nausea takes control of his entire body and his head spins. He calls out for helps. The bruises on his body turn an intense blue and black cause a terrifying jolt of pain before disappearing completely. Joe and Iris find him leaning against the bathtub and crying. The connection is gone. At 17, Barry loses his soulmate to years of abuse.

At 21, the particle accelerator explodes and Barry gets hit by lightning.

At 22, he becomes the Flash.

At 24, he feels a pull. A tug telling Barry he is needed and he runs towards it. He forgets Zoom. He doesn't listen to Cisco and Caitlin's frantic yelling at him suddenly taking off in the middle of the fight with a meta-human. He doesn't listen to Harry repeating his name over the comm link.

He just _runs_.

  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:**

> I tried writing a continuation but everything seems to interrupt the flow of the work. So this will be a stand alone for now. Sorry about that!
> 
> I will definitely be writing more for The Flash verse!


End file.
